Connie Jo Freeman

Clearwater Beach, Florida

July 1, 1948-May 6, 2016

Connie Jo Freeman, 67, of Clearwater Beach, Florida, raised in Essex, passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family at her home on May 6. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 12 at Iles Funeral Homes - Dunn's Chapel, 2121 Grand Avenue, Des Moines. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, May 13 at Faith Covenant Church, 212 Alice Street, Essex.

Connie Jo Freeman was born on July 1, 1948 in Shenandoah at Hand Hospital to Wendell Walter Freeman and Ramona Victoria (Johnson) Freeman. She attended Essex Community School and graduated from Essex High School in 1966. Connie began her nursing education by attending Northwest Missouri State while working in Shenandoah followed by LPN training in Carroll, Iowa. She then went on to pursue her Bachelor of Nursing degree in Vermillion at the University of South Dakota. While working at Hand Community Hospital in Shenandoah she met and married Steven Anderson. They had three children: Tobin Rood, Steven Tucker, and Sarah Lynn. In 1986, she founded Universal Pediatric Services which specialized in home care for medically fragile children. Her mission was to provide care and support for those in need. In 1992, she was honored as Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year and later was also named Business Woman of the Year in 1996. She continued owning and operating both Universal Pediatric Services and Ultimate Nursing Services which expanded into 16 states by the time of her retirement in 2010. After which, she permanently relocated to Clearwater Beach where her life centered around sharing time with family and friends. She especially enjoyed the time spent with her grandchildren: Bryce, Alexa, Tatum and Koiy.

Connie is survived by her former spouse, Steven Rood Anderson; her son, Tobin Rood Anderson, his wife, Jodi Anderson and their two children, Bryce and Alexa of Tappan, New York; son, Steven Tucker Anderson, his wife, Jessica Anderson and their two children, Koiy and Tatum of Des Moines; daughter, Sarah Lynn Anderson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Peaches, her committed companion (dog). Her family also consists of a network of lifelong friends including, Pat Jensen, Bob and Alicia Johnson, Joellen Strittmatter, and many others.

Connie was preceded in death by her grandparents, George and Veda (Kampe) Johnson and Walter and Pearl (Salsstroud) Freeman; parents, Wendell and Ramona Freeman and sister, Victoria Sue.

Memorial contributions may be made by check payable to the Craig Hospital Foundation, 3425 S. Clarkson St., Englewood, Colorado 80113 attn: Craig Hospital Foundation. Additonal information and online condolences may be found at www.IlesCares.com.